The San Saba news. [volume] (San Saba, Tex.) 1873-1966, 1887-01-21
TIGERS AND CATNIP.
4 sKirPER's YARN.

ca-go OF slaves, as he had done befor,
out he had hsrdiy crossed the Blight ,
4 en'n, when The schooner was struck l.
awhite squat and thrown on her bean
ends. All the white people on boar
were on deck at the time. except one ma,
senger. and with them there were a fe,
trusted slaves, who were employed in V,
Il. IoIls Ways. The rest oL,sSussisSss-susr
-,et'T7s7Ied below. =-'fee'scll 5 5nef 15d IN
olesm4ll boat, which was taken posses
SION OF by tho Captain, Mate, and fou
\ hands, who loaded her so deeply tba
7 they were obliged to push off, leavin,
4 seven souls, white and black, clingino I
the vesseis bottom. They had four oars
n few gallons OF palm oil, but no sail
and no bread ard water. A tarnaulin
found ueeer seat. was rugged for
san, ard IN this unpromising condition
they headed for the shore they had re
Gently left. The sea was still ruunius
high, and frequently came on board. TIL
sun beat down upon them with ter
rlble force, aud all lut one man and
the mats died raving mad before Their,
was sight OF land. At last the suryiy,
ors wee cheered by the outline Of a low
shore, which they made a desperate Of
fort to reach, and as night again closed
IN they ran under the shadow of over.
hanging trees, where all was a marsh
the home OF feve.s and the abode of ser.
penis On every hand it was a low Jun
gle, In which no white man could hope
olive; an impenetrable underground Of
ferns, young palms, climbing vines. rat.
tans, the thick-leaved ficus, and tall gum
trees woven together. To penetrate It
was hopeless task, and, alter pushing
further on the next day, and crossing
many arms of what appeared to be the
mouth OF a river, they found a pincc to
land. There they killed a numb-r of
snakes, which they devourcd. ION this
spot there was another death, and the
mate was the only survivor. lie was re-
duced to shadow when some natives
found him and took him, with his boat
to them prize, to their village. WAR;.
where there was a m .ssion station. Once
there, he could hardly trust his senses
Tor he head voice speaking English
and saw before him a comely English.
woman, the wife-widoN, for she had
been bcrelt fcN days before-of n mis-
sionary, who had iabored in that nm.
promising field Ths missionary had
been carried OF by tiger, and his
widow, half crazcd by her sudden and
terrible loss, was in no condition to do
much for 4 shipwreeked mariner; but
his haggard face, shsunken limbs. and
wo -begone looks aroused her synpa-
thies, and she gave him food and gar
mcnts and the medic ne he needed.
The village was male up Of Iraals and
wigwams covered with thatch OF leaves.
The mission, removed but one deg &c
from such nbodcs, was a low cottage of
waffle, by contrast neat and attractive.
1t had but little furniture "a few stools,
a table, skins and coarse mats, and in the
part that might be called a kitchen,
wooden spoons, gourds and the like hung
on the walls. But the charm of the place
was its flower gardcn-not native flow
ers, but flowers that carried the mission
AIRY and his wife back to where they had
spent their carly days, and were grown
from seeds they had brought with them,
or were sent out IN letters from time to
time by distant frien -blossoming
beans. tufts OF rocket and sweet William,
nodding sprays of ragged-sailor, and
spikes Of fcx-gl We, bce-larkspur, holly
hooks of many colors, and marigolds and
asiers, all growing together. / ed clover.
beds of loses and balsam shared the
ground with che humber but no less val
ued catnip, motherwort and goldcn-rod:
while honeysuckles and wo2db;nes c..,..li
to what was intended = - 1-~' s
.~r.;.h -. =. ~ for n porch, and
v I nicn. was Ankc one as the missionary
eouiaA Axe il with the materials at hand. '
was these flowers. objects Of love and q
imiraticn, that softened the lot Of the
visionary ana his wife. and made them s
lrget many OF the privations they hal ]
be r. And it was while seated on '
is low porch, in the cool of the even i
z, en- oying his pipc-kis only iudui- S
sn7e--that he was seized by tiger aad
Ifricd OF. Traces of tigers had been |
ea in the flower garden, and some OF '
r. negroes had sad, with trembling c
nbs, that they had seen one there; but '
c alarm was never given in time for [
e mis- ionary and his wife to catch sight '
the dreaded creature. The presence /
such terrible foe in the immediate
igAborhood sent chill To every heart. 4
9 they were powerless TO contend with c
N, having Only enc shotgun. There b
as a constant dle d that he would sud. 5
snly burst upon them; and when. with O
bound. he cafsied OF the head Of The IN
'usc, they were pa -alyzed. c
The mate said he would do wha. he 5
'a'a 10 drise on ne monster; but al !
ost before he had time to tske it all in f
&c tiger agar appeared, IS ha----.---..-..- ?
ist me did not come with glazing eyes.
tent on his p.ey, but was spiritless and y
'iden,Iy III. Whether the missionary il
id-nof agreed with him, or, in satisfy t
z bis voracioss appetite, he had swal- I
we'd tss many brass buttons. or. per
FPS. the missionary's false teeth, could
i be ascertained. Certainly the crea-
re was moning, and for long time
o one caring TO go out and drive him
2 he lay in rart of the garden he had
equented before, apparently munching
mething.
The next morning the mate carefully
ger had confined his attention to the
fuip bed Here was revelation. and
ON it the mate was quick to draw
Inclusion ''Cats." said he TO himself, !
love catnip, cat of it freely, and always
I'm to it when ailing. A cat, - no went !
J, ''is diminutive tiger; q tiger is a
onstrous cat; whether large or small,
4 or tiger. they have one taste in com
on; love Of catnip.n
Having reasoned thus, he set about
fnirg bis conclusions to account salts
d that with the aid of catnip he might
pfure this troublesome tiger-perhaps
any tigers, greatly TO his profit Ex-
tly how it vas TO he done required y
ore reflection. At last IT camc t7nS of
at with tbs aid Of the needfd NOT the
e mission. he could p The work goil
nber, with s.assed t .6i when com aga
that = about de ~ s,sA With cat was
II ne expected to spf ~ sa' e The he Q
J. s ~s.t INTO the seb be- ~idos
! ssrs sssseouragsd ''t 70 ,.. The In
' no corral was r r'ss. ' .isr I I